In a disheartening display of batting, Nepal fell to a resounding defeat against Hong Kong by nine wickets in the second match of the fiercely contested four-nation Twenty20 series. This loss effectively eliminates Nepal from the tournament’s final. The team now turns its attention to a game against the relatively weaker Japan in the last encounter of the series scheduled for Saturday. Following that, Nepal is set to battle for the third-place position against Japan the next day. Meanwhile, the victorious Hong Kong, having secured two consecutive wins, will face off against Tanzania in a title-deciding clash on the same day.

The match at the Hong Kong Cricket Ground on Thursday witnessed Hong Kong effortlessly chasing down Nepal’s target of 57 runs, losing only one wicket in a mere nine overs.

Notably, Rubina Chhetri emerged as the top scorer for Nepal, contributing a commendable 25 runs, but unfortunately, the rest of the players failed to reach double figures. Openers Pooja Mahato and Sita Rana Magar returned to the pavilion with 4 and 9 runs, respectively. At the same time, Kajal Shrestha and Captain Indu Burma failed to make an impact, departing without opening their accounts. Rubina, who faced 29 balls, was dismissed by Ruchitha Venkatesh, and subsequent batters Kanchan Shrestha, Roma Thapa, and Sangeeta Rai added minimal runs to the tally. Hong Kong’s Ikra Sahar claimed three crucial wickets.

For Hong Kong, Natasa Mills played a pivotal role, scoring 30 runs off 23 balls, adorned with four boundaries. Mariko Hill contributed five runs, and Sanjeen Sehzad added 20 runs to seal the comprehensive victory. The stage is now set for an intense showdown between Hong Kong and Tanzania for the coveted title.

In another match today, Tanzania asserted its dominance, defeating Japan by a commanding margin of 110 runs. This follows Japan’s earlier loss to Hong Kong by 9 wickets in the series opener on Wednesday, while Nepal suffered a setback, losing by 27 runs against Tanzania on the same day.